Climate Change Conferences & Workshops
Past Events
2010 Climate Conference: Managing for Resiliency in the San Juan Mountains - Oct 6-9, 2010 - Silverton
The 2010 Managing for Resiliency Conference was held on Oct 6-9 at the Kendall Mountain Center in Silverton, CO and welcomed over 100 participants. This conference brought together scientists, stakeholders, land managers, and practitioners to discuss current research to assess existing and potential threats to the San Juan Mountain region posed by climate change. It was also an opportunity to develop strategies, frameworks, and tools for climate change adaptation planning that can be shared between agencies and communities. The conference featured presentations, panel discussions, working groups, a poster session, and field trips to research sites in the San Juan Mountains. The conference highlighted the need to develop a centralized data repository for climate science information, to share science with citizens in a relatable manner, to form effective partnerships, and to act on the information we already have.
Conference Proceedings Report (coming soon)
Speakers: View abstracts and presentations from over 20 speakers that attended the conference.
Thanks to all our sponsors!
“Managing for Resiliency in the San Juan Mountains” is presented by The Mountain Studies Institute and San Juan Public Lands Center (USFS/BLM) with funding and support from the following agencies, businesses, and organizations:
- Center for Collaborative Conservation
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest
- Southwest Water Conservation District, Durango
- NOAA, Earth Systems Research Lab
- Venture Snowboards, Silverton
- Durango Mountain Resort, Durango
- Box Canyon Lodge, Ouray
- San Miguel Power Association, Ridgeway
- Montanya Distillers, Silverton
- Robert Goodin, precious metal investments, Durango
- Fort Lewis College, Durango
- The Wingate House, Silverton
- Ouray Brewing Company
- Durango Brewing
- Solarworks of Durango
Dealing with Drought: Adapting to Climate Change - October 22, 2009 - Durango, CO
This workshop was hosted by the Western Water Assessment, Colorado Water Conservation Board, National Integrated Drought Information System (US Drought Portal), Colorado Climate Center, and Mountain Studies Institute.
Participants engaged with Colorado climate scientists in instructional sessions to learn more about Colorado’s climate and climate variability, the history of past drought in Colorado, scenarios for future climate change, and implications of climate change for water and other resources. During small-group discussion sessions, participants discussed the impacts of the 2000s drought, and what information or resources would help adapt to future droughts; and what potential impacts from a changing (warming) climate most concerned them. Input from these discussion sessions will be incorporated into the revision of the state Drought Plan, and also the forthcoming Climate Change Impacts Report, which is part of the Colorado Climate Action Plan. Participant surveys prior to and after the workshops assessed their climate literacy and use of climate information.
Link to Oct. 22, 2009 Drought Workshop Presentations & Summary Info
Mountain Climate Research Conference (MTNCLIM) - June 9 to 12, 2008 - Silverton, CO
The Mountain Studies Institute hosted the 2008 event. The MTNCLIM research conferences are sponsored by the Consortium for Integrated Climate Research on Western Mountains (CIRMOUNT), and are dedicated to mountain climate sciences and effects of climate variability on ecosystems, natural resources, and conservation in western North American mountains. MTNCLIM conferences feature invited and contributed talks, poster sessions, and working-group sessions. A post-conference workshop for natural-resource managers is held to address implications of climate variability and climate change in conservation and resource management. MTNCLIM convenes every two years.
Link to 2008 MTNCLIM Conference Presentations & Summary
Climate Change Town Meeting - June 9, 2008 - Silverton, CO
Prior to the 2008 MTNCLIM Conference, the Mountain Studies Institute hosted an informational event open to the public.
Link to Town Meeting Presentations & Summary
Climate Change Adaptation Workshop for Natural Resource Managers- June 12, 2008 - Silverton, CO
The Mountain Studies Institute and the Consortium of Integrated Climate Research in Western Mountains (CIRMOUNT) hosted this workshop, as part of the Mountain Climate 2008 Conference in Silverton.
The workshop included regional climate outlook presentation, a managers’ perspectives discussion, presentations about an overview of climate adaptation options and examples from Olympic National Park and Tahoe National Forest, and a discussion of how to implement locally.
Link to June 12, 2008 Workshop Presentations & Summary Info
Tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow for water management in the West - Part II - June 13, 2008 - Durango, CO
This half-day workshop was co-sponsored by the Western Water Assessment and the Mountain Studies Institute. It was a follow-up to a workshop presented in Durango in May 2007. The participants at that workshop showed a strong interest in a streamflow reconstruction for the Animas at Durango. Jeff Lukas developed the reconstruction in spring 2008, and returned to Durango to "deliver" this new product in person. MSI again served as co-sponsor of the workshop, coordinating the outreach and local logistics.
Link to Tree-Ring Workshop Part II Presentations & Summary Info
Tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow for water management in the West - Part I - May 31, 2007 - Durango, CO
This half-day workshop was co-sponsored by the Western Water Assessment and the Mountain Studies Institute. The purpose of this workshops was comprehensively cover the methods of generating reconstructed streamflow from tree rings, so that water managers and stakeholders interested in using these data would have a better basis of understanding from which to work. They also provided opportunities for water managers to share information with each other about applications of the tree-ring data, and for tree-ring researchers to learn more about the information needs of water management.
Link to Tree-Ring Workshop Part I Presentations & Summary Info
Climate Change and Variability in the San Juan Mountains: A Stakeholder & Scientist Dialogue - October 11 to 12, 2006 - Durango, CO
This two-day conference was organized by the Mountain Studies Institute in cooperation with Fort Lewis College, the Western Water Assessment (CU Boulder & NOAA), and University of Arizona.
It purpose was to foster information-sharing and interaction between scientists and local stakeholders regarding the implications and potential impacts of climate variability and change in the San Juan Mountain region.It served as the kick-off event to the San Juan Climate Initiative: a stakeholder-driven climate research, outreach and partnership program.
Conference Agenda: Climate Change and Variability in the San Juan Mountains: Click Here
Conference Proceedings:
